Planning

In my previous post, I promised to illustrate the importance of planning your day. So, here it is:

Let me introduce a fictional character called Maggie. She is suffering with depression. She is in her mid-thirties, married to James and has an 8 years-old son Dillon. Maggie is a housewife, as she does not feel she is fit to go back to work since having her first episode of depression 6 years ago. She still drives and sees her old school friend Sally on occasion.

Take 1
Maggie’s alarm clock rings at 7:30am. She remembers the first item on her 'To Do' list:

While it is common to blame inability to plan on depression, I would like you to consider the possible costs of not planning your day in advance:

1. You may believe there are no reasons to get out of bed and follow your morning routine.
2. You may see no point and/or feel no urgency in doing anything during the day.
3. You may engage yourself in negative self-talk and feeling sorry for yourself as soon as you are awake, as your mind is free of tasks, responsibilities and any excitement.